Latch plate and release



Dec: 24, 1935. c w CRANNELL 2,025,377

LATCH PLATE AND RELEASE Filed March 20, 1934 znulmmag Charles 14567221722621.

Patented Dec. 24, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LATCH PLATE AND RELEASE Nebr.

Application March 20, 1934, Serial No. 716,491

4 Claims.

This invention relates to releasable latch devices adapted to cooperate with latching means for the control and positioning of movable members, and has as an object to provide an improved 6 construction of and arrangement of elements in such devices.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved releasable latch device mountable on a relatively movable member for cooperation 10 with latching means engaging through said member for positive positioning and control of said member.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved releasable latch device particularly 5 adapted for mounting on drop sides, bottoms and end gates of vehicle bodies, ore and grain chutes, hinged gates, and similar relatively movable members for cooperation with latching means engaging through such members, and

20 manually operable for release of such latching cooperation without danger to the operator.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved releasable latch device mountable in multiple on relatively movable members for 25 cooperation with latching means engageable through said members, and manually operable for simultaneous release of the latching cooperation of all said devices carried by a given movable member.

30 A further object of the invention is to provide an improved releasable latch device that is simple and inexpensive of manufacture and installation, positive and efficient in operation, durable in use, and adaptable to a wide variety of specific installations.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is an elevation of a pair of my improved devices operatively mounted on a hinged drop member, such as a vehicle side or end gate, a portion of said member being broken away to conserve space. Figure 2 is an elevation, on an enlarged scale, of my improved latch plate and release, unmounted, dotted lines indicating alternative and various operative positions of the movable elements of the device. Figure 3 is a longitudinal section, on the same scale as Figure 2, through one of the devices shown in Figure 1, dotted lines indicating releasing positions of the movable elements of the device. Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail section taken on the indicated line 4--4 of Figure 2. Figure 5 is a detail plan view of the cooperating end of a removable, manually operable lever adapted for employment with my improved device.

In the construction of the improvement as shown, the numeral I designates an integral, flat plate of any desired size and specific outline, formed in any desired manner of any suitable material, such as metal, and provided with suitably spaced holes ll adapted to receive bolts or rivets l2 whereby said plate may be securely fixed in the desired relation with and on a movable member l3. The member I3 is illustrated as a unitary panel hinged at its lower margin for motion through a vertical arc and conventional- 1y represents a vehicle body drop side, bottom or end gate, or any similar element employed in like manner. The plate It) is formed with a hole M on its longitudinal median line adjacent its upper margin, which hole is extended in the form of an elongated slot l5 extending downwardly from said hole and longitudinally of said plate. Spaced, parallel ribs I6 are formed integrally with and rise perpendicularly from the plate l0 centrally thereof in alinement with and on opposite sides of the slot l5, said ribs being formed with overhanging integral lips along their adjacent margins and in spaced relation above the plate surface, whereby a slide bearing is formed on and extending longitudinally of said plate. A slide member I! of a size to be freely received in the bearing just described is mounted in said bearing to reciprocate longitudinally of the plate H! in covering relation, at times, with the slot l 5, said member I! being formed with an offset'lower portion ll" lying in the plane of the plate l0 and movable through a notched lower portion of said plate into engagement of its upper end with a plate margin 10' to limit upward travel of the member I! along the said plate, the limiting elements just described being so arranged as to position the upper margin of the member I! across the junction of the hole l4 and slot [5 when said member I1 is at the uppermost limit of its range of travel. Uniformly spaced transversely of the lower portion of the plate in, a pair of identical cylindrical bosses l8 rise perpendicularly from said plate to provide pivotal mountings for a bell-crank l9, which latter is formed with a hole in its angle wherein either of the bosses i8 may be freely received to position said bellcrank for actuation through an arc in a plane parallel with the plate It). Holes are formed through the bosses l8 to receive a suitable pin or bolt 20, the latter extending through a suitable Washer 2| overlying the bell-crank l9 and bein provided with a suitable nut 22 or similar retain ing means whereby the bell-crank is held in operative relation on its boss l8. Means are preferably provided to prevent rotation of the washer 2| relative to'its boss l8, which means are illustrated as comprising a lug 23 formed on said washer in position to engage within a notch 24 formed in the outer end of the boss l8, which arrangement operates to prevent unscrewing of the nut 22% the bell-crank l3 pivots about its mounting boss. One arm, 25, of the bell-crank I9 is arranged to overlie the portion H of the slide member I1, and said arm is formed with an elongated slot adjacent its free end wherein is loosely received a pin 26 rising in fixed perpendicular relation from and preferably formed integrally with the said slide portion l1, so that rotation of the bell-crank on its pivotal mounting acts to reciprocate the member l1 within its slide bearing, engagement of the offset joining the slide portions I1 and II with the arm 25 serving to limit downward travel of said slide assembly. The other arm, 21, of the bell-crank i9 normally depends vertically beneath the bolt or pin 20 and has its free'end formed as a clevis adapted to operatively receive one end of a drag link 28 whereby corresponding arms 21 of a plurality of latch plate installations on a common member I 3 may be interconnected for simultaneous operation, as is clearly shown in Figure '1. tends oppositely to the arm 25 from the angle of the bell-crank [9, said ear being formed with an angular aperture adapted to receive and be operatively engaged at times by an angular boss 30 formed on one end of an operating lever 3|, so that, when said lever 3| is operatively engaged with said bell-crank,as indicated by dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2, downward pressure manually applied to said lever acts to move the slide member I1 into its covering relation with the slot 15. The dual provision of the bosses l8 permits mounting of the bell-crank l9 on either side of the plate ill for positioning of the lever 3| away from the member I3, so that an operator, when using said lever, may stand clear of the member l3 and be in no danger therefrom. The removable character of the lever 3| permits of its use to successively operate a plurality of latch plate installations and obviates the necessity of leaving the lever in position where it might be in the way of other mechanisms oractivities.

Any suitable arrangement of means adapted to engage through the member l3 and latch plate hole I4 for latching cooperation with the slot l may be employed to give operative effect to the device hereabove described, one such arrangement being illustrated as comprising a'link chain 32 fixed at one end and having its free end driven through a hole 33 formed in the member l3 in registering relation with the hole l4 and slot 4 5 and through the hole M, the hole and slot arrangement in the plate In permitting a vertically disposed chain link to drop into said slot and latch the member l3 in the position determined by the link so employed. With the member l3 latched by means of the chain 32 as shown in Figures 1 and 3, actuation of the bell-crank I9 by means of the engaged lever 3| moves the slide I1 upward of its plate in'its slide bearing,

, which travel of the slide member forces the latching chain link upwardly and out of the slot l5 and into the hole l4, through which the chain 32 is free to slide as the member [3 is moved under any suitable pressure or influence. Operation of A flat ear 2!! is formed on and ex- 7 multiple installations of the latch plate is the employed to operatively interconnect as many such installations as may be desired and simultaneously transmit lever motion to all thereof. 5 Various stop means may be employed for adjustment along the chain 32 to limit motion of the member I3, one such means being illustrated as comprising claw hooks 34 on the free end of said chain arranged to hook over any desired 10 link of said chain and act as a stop when engaged by the moving member l3. It is obvious that various forms of rigid and flexible latch bars may be employed with the improved latch plate in place of the chain specifically shown.

Since many changes, modifications and variations in the specific form, construction and arrangement of the elements shown and described may be had without departing from the spirit of the invention, I wish to be understood as being limited solely by the scope of the appended claims rather than by any details of the illustrative showing and foregoing description.

I claim as Jmy invention:-

1. In combination with a relatively movable plate communicating with said hole for latching engagement at times withsaid latch means, a slide bearing formed on said plate, a slide member reciprocable in said bearing to cover said slot at times, a crank arm pivoted on said plate and operatively engaging said slide member, and man- 35 ually-operable means for oscillating said crank arm to actuate said slide member for release of the latching engagement between said slot and latch means.

2. In combination with a relatively movable 40 member and latch means loosely engaging through said member, a latch plate carried by said member and formed with a hole for free passage of said latch means, a slot in said latch plate communicating with said hole for latching engagement at times with said latch means, a slide bearing formed on said plate, a slide member recipro'cable in said bearing to cover said slot at times, a bell-crank pivoted on said plate with one arm operatively engaging said slide member and its other arm depending for operative connection with the corresponding arm of a similar installation, and manually-operable means for oscillating said bell-crank to actuate said slide member for release of the latching engagement between said slot and latch means.

3. In a device of the character described, a latch plate formed with an aperture for free passage of latch means therethrough, a latching slot communicating with said aperture, a slide bearing carried by said plate, a slide member reciprocable in said bearing to cover said slot at times, identical mounting bosses on said plate on opposite sides of said slide member, a bell-crank operatively mounted on one of said bosses, one

sage of latch means therethrough, a latching slot communicating with said aperture, a slide bearing carried by said plate, a slide member reciprocable in said bearing to cover said slot at times, identical mounting bosses on said plate on opposite sides of said slide member, a pin rising from and adjacent the lower end of said slide member, a bell-crank mounted for oscillation on one of said bosses, one arm of said bell-crank operatively engaging the pin 01 said slide membet and the other arm of said bell-crank depending for operative connection with the corresponding arm of a similar device, and manuallyoperable means for oscillating said bell-crank to move said slide member into covering relation with said slot.

CHARLES W. CRANNELL. 

